LII. 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

This shall not be a thing muttered in secret: thy spiritual watchmen, the seers of God, shall lift up their voice, and publish it to all the world, with joy and thanksgiving; and shall be, some of them, eye-witnesses of this gracious deliverance.

LII. 10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations.

The Lord hath shewed his mighty power to all the nations round about, in this rescue of his chosen people.

LII. 11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

Make yourselves ready therefore, O my people, to depart out of Babylon get you forth joyfully, from the place of your captivity; and, in the mean time, keep yourselves undefiled with the corrup tions of that wicked nation: and ye, the Priests and Levites, that have charge of the holy things of God, see that ye sanctify your selves, and hold clear from all those Babylonish pollutions.

LII. 12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

For ye shall not go out of Babylon, as ye went out of Egypt, with haste and tumult, or as people that flee from an enemy, but in a peaceable and triumphant fashion; for the Lord shall go before you, and follow you in so plain a manifestation of his powerful presence, that you shall find no cause of doubt, or fear.

LII. 13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

Behold, that Messiah, by whom I shall fully restore my Church, shall work wisely and succeed prosperously, in that glorious service he shall be exalted and advanced above all the kings of the earth, yea, above all the powers of heaven.

LII. 14 As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men : Indeed, the outward appearance of that Son of God was so exceeding mean and contemptible, more than the ordinary fashion of the sons of men, as that those, who beheld it, were astonished, to see such a majesty shrouded in so plain and homely an outside: LII. 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. But yet, in the efficacy of his appearance, he shall be so glorious, as that, when he is graciously pleased to distil his holy word upon the nations, kings shall stand amazed at the power of him, who worketh so mightily by it; for they shall see and hear that, which they never could have imagined should possibly have come to pass.

LIII.

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? But, woe is me! though we bring such certain and happy news of a Messiah into the world, yet, how is the incredulous world besotted, that it will not believe our report? What blindness hath darkened the eyes of men, that they will not see the mighty power of the Godhead, in this weakness of human flesh ?

LIII. 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; &c. For, to the eyes of men he shall seem despicable, at the first; and by degrees shall grow up to an acknowledged perfection: he hath no loveliness or glory in his outward appearance.

LIII. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. It is for our sakes, that he hath subjected himself to all those griefs and sorrows, which he underwent; that he might sanctify our afflictions to us, and deliver us from greater judgments: yet, our unthankfulness will not acknowledge it, but is ready to cast his sufferings upon his own deservings, as if God had stricken him for his own demerits.

LIII. 5 The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed,

He was chastised, to work our peace: he was smitten, that we might be healed.

LIII. 8 He was taken fromprison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living.

He was indeed arraigned, and adjudged to a shameful and painful death, but that could have no power over him he was mightily rescued from it, by the power of his Godhead, and now lives for ever; neither shall or can there be any end of his eternal duraration, howsoever, for the time, he was cut off from living amongst men.

LIII. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

He was given up into the hand of wicked and violent men, to be by them put to death amongst malefactors; although he had done nothing amiss, neither was any guile found in his mouth.

LIII. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Yet it pleased God the Father to humble him; and, standing in our stead, to hide his face from him; but with an intention of much glory to him, and happiness to his Church: for, when thou, O Lord, shalt cause his life to be offered up for the satisfaction of our sins, he shall, by the efficacy of his blood, raise up a plentiful issue to his Church, and shall be everlastingly glorified, and work

happily for the good of his chosen; effecting all that, which God hath determined for the salvation of mankind.

LIII. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities.

He shall see and feel the happy success of his labours and suffer. ings, and shall find abundant comfort and satisfaction therein: herein shall many, yea all that belong to God's election, be justified; in that, this righteous and perfect Saviour is known and apprehended by them; and in that, they are known and accepted of him; for he hath undertaken to satisfy for all their iniquities.

LIII. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Therefore, after he hath overcome the sharpness of death, I will honour him with a glorious triumph; wherein he shall, according to the manner of great conquerors, divide the spoil of his enemies; insulting over death, the grave, and hell, because he hath been obedient to the death, yea the death of the cross; and was hanged on the tree of shame and curse, betwixt two malefactors; and upon that cross bore the sin of all those that pertain to him; and, both at his death prayed for his persecutors and tormentors, and at my right hand makes perpetual intercession for his Church.

LIV. 1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

Rejoice, O thou Church of the Gentiles, which wert before utterly barren and fruitless, yielding no children to God; for now, the children of thee, which wert not formerly regarded as my spouse, are more than those of the Church of the Jews, whom I professed to love and respect. So also verse 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

LIV. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as 1 have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Well may I compare the great inundation of thy sorrow and afflic tion, to the deluge in Noah's time, wherewith the earth was overspread; and, as I then swore, &c. so have I now sworn, that I will never give my Church over to any utter vastation.

LIV. 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

O thou, my poor distressed Church, which now seest no cause of joy, or mitigation of thy sorrow, comfort thou thyself with the expectation of what blessings I have laid up for thee; for, how

despised soever thou now seemest, I will exceedingly adorn and beautify thee.

LIV. 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates. of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

I will make the Evangelical Church far more glorious than that, which was under the law: there shall nothing be wanting, that may set forth the beauty and majesty thereof.

LIV. 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

God will, by the gracious illuminations of his Spirit, teach his will unto thy children; and shall, by miraculous gifts upon them, testify the descent of his Holy Ghost; and thy true and faithful children, shall enjoy a sweet and unspeakable peace in their consciences.

LIV. 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

Yet shalt not thou expect such a quiet condition, as may be free from all hostility and opposition: no; there will be enemies banding together against thee, but without all success from me: they shall fail and miscarry in their designs against thee, for that I have undertaken thy protection.

LIV. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

It is my Almighty Hand, that moderates and overrules all those powers, that set themselves against thee: Are weapons the instruments of thy hurt? Behold, I have made the very smith that makes them, and the arm that useth them, to destruction.

LIV. 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn.

Men may devise means to do thee harm, but they shall not prevail against thee: and those malicious tongues, that stir against thee, to accuse and reproach thee, shall be shamed and convicted by thee.

LV. 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Ho, every one, who is humbled under the conscience of his own wants and unworthiness, let him now, under the reign of grace, and the powerful kingdom of Christ, have recourse to his gracious Saviour; and let him freely and fully partake of all spiritual comforts and blessings, whereby his soul may be refreshed and saved. LV. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, &c.

Why do you, O ye vain sons of men, spend your labour and cost, upon the search and pursuit of those comforts, which have no

true and solid contentment in them? Give ear unto me with all diligence; and furnish yourselves with those graces, which shall be sure to nourish you up unto eternal life.

LV. 3 Even the sure mercies of David.

Even those blessings and mercies, which, by my promise and covenant, I assured unto David my servant.

LV. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold, I have ordained this successor of David to be a perfect Mediator of the New Testament, for the behoof of my people; to be the head and leader of my elect.

LV. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee.

Behold, thou shalt call the Gentiles, which were hitherto unregarded of thee, to be thy Church:, those, that have hitherto walked as without God in the world, shalt thou now convert unto thee.

LV. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

However ye may fondly measure me by yourselves, ye shall find my thoughts, and disposition, is not like to yours; implacable in cases of offence: neither are my proceedings like yours.

LV. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

For ye, O my people the Jews, shall go forth of your Babylonish captivity with joy, and be led peaceably forth towards your own land; and all the creatures of God shall, as it were, rejoice in your deliverance, and applaud your comfortable return.

LV. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and in stead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

And whereas, before, your land was annoyed with men, that were harmfully troublesome and cruel, like thorns that are ready to tear every passenger; now, it shall be planted with persons inoffensive and beneficial, such as yield a pleasant and comfortable shade, and profitable use unto men; and this change shall be to the everlasting praise of God, and for a memorial of his neverfading goodness to his Church.

LVI. 1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

And now, that ye may be worthy of this high calling of God, do ye approve yourselves careful to perform all acts of charity and justice one to another: so shall ye be capable of that deliverance and salvation, which I have determined unto you.

LVI. 3 Neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. Neither let the man, who is sensible of his own defects and un